Processed foods are built on three foundational ingredients: salt, sugar, and fat. The right mix of these elements can yield delicious and cost-effective snacks that range from sweet to savory and cheesy to crunchy. However, when food manufacturers attempt to modify recipes to lower one or more of these essential ingredients, they often need to make adjustments elsewhere.
Among consumers today, sugar is frequently viewed as the most problematic ingredient, with sodium not far behind. Many large consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies are reducing sugar levels in response to consumer preferences and are voluntarily cutting sodium in line with the FDA’s proposed targets for the food sector. Yet, this often results in an increase in saturated fat content.
As more consumers strive for healthier eating habits, one might wonder why food producers don’t simply decrease salt, sugar, and fat altogether to create genuinely healthy options. The challenge lies in the fact that food scientists require one of these three pillars to maintain flavor and affordability in production. Ryan Dolan, COO of PTM Food Consulting, likens product nutrition to a pie chart, explaining that if you decrease sodium and sugar slices, another slice must grow to compensate for the loss. When only one ingredient is reduced, the change is less noticeable. However, cutting back on two ingredients often leads to a significant increase in another.
Industry insiders cited in the article were not surprised by the latest government report, attributing it to standard practices within the industry. It will be interesting to see if consumers start to notice the rising levels of saturated fats in their beloved processed foods. If saturated fats become the next scrutinized ingredient, we can expect more reformulations, potentially leading to increased sugar or salt content.
Today, saturated fats are likely considered the least harmful of the three ingredients. Recent studies have cast doubt on the connection between saturated fats and heart disease, despite the American Heart Association’s recommendation for a diet rich in healthier fats. While it is not suggested that saturated fats are beneficial, consumer concern over fat content has diminished over time. With over half of global consumers prioritizing sugar content when checking labels, it is understandable why manufacturers are shifting their focus.
In this context, the discussion around dietary choices extends to other health-related topics, such as the debate between calcium citrate vs calcium carbonate in relation to kidney stones. As consumers become more health-conscious, understanding which forms of calcium may contribute to or prevent kidney stones is becoming increasingly relevant. The choice between calcium citrate vs calcium carbonate is just one aspect of how consumers are navigating their dietary needs, and it reflects a broader trend toward increased awareness of ingredients in processed foods.